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This is the nineth in a series of articles
about the Davie
Community Foundation and its work in the county.

The Davie Community Foundation has invested in the post-secondary education of Davie students for the last 19 years.
The foundation has invested more than $2 million in scholarships to more than 1,360 students. Most of the investments have been made for students attending four-year colleges and universities in and outside of North Carolina.
After reviewing a 2018 White Paper on strategic scholarship investments, the foundation board began discussing the most strategic use of its scholarship investments.
“Should we make a more significant investment in Davie County students who would fill positions in local companies, thus helping to build a pipeline of talent for business and industry for our community?,” said Jane Simpson, foundation president.
It was timely in January 2019 when the foundation was invited to join a group of community leaders to discuss a college promise program.
From that conversation, the Davie Community Foundation not only became a founding partner, but Simpson also took an active role in working with Carolyn McManamy, director of DavieCONNECT, and Susan Burleson, vice president for the Davie Campus of Davidson-Davie Community College, to develop the framework for a promise program.
After nine months of work and fundraising, Ignite Davie College Promise was announced to the community in September 2019.
“It was, and is, the belief of the Davie Community Foundation that a permanent endowment is needed to ensure the program is sustainable for current and future generations,” Simpson said. She projected a $3 million endowment would provide sufficient earnings for investments in Davie students who chose to participate.
The foundation organized the fundraising for the Ignite Davie Endowment. A “Commit to our Kids” campaign in 2020 generated dollars for investment in current Ignite students. A challenge issued by Tony and Vi Golding successfully added more than $260,000 to the endowment.
This October, the foundation organized one more campaign to finish the fundraising for the Ignite Davie Endowment, the Inve$t in our Kids Capital Campaign was designed to raise the final $1 million needed to secure the Promise for Davie children.
“It will take all of us to make it a success,” Simpson said.
The foundation has committed $100,000 to Ignite Davie and the board and staff of the foundation have all made commitments to the Promise.
“We are all in as they say to ensure the goal is met and the dollars are available to invest in Davie’s children,” she said.
“Our experience has been that most of the students who receive a scholarship to a four-year school do not return to Davie County to live and work. Some of our brightest and best are sharing their talents with other communities.
“If they spend two years at DDCC through Ignite Davie it gives the community an opportunity to introduce them to local businesses that are in their field of study through Career Connections. Those connections may prove to be important when students graduate from four-year schools and begin looking for jobs.
“We also believe that if we all work to educate every Davie student, the ones who choose to stay to live and work in our community will have the training and skills they need to be successful members of the community. More education usually equates to better paying jobs, which usually means less dependence upon non-profit organizations and social service agencies.
“In the end students who have training and education beyond high school help the entire community, and we all benefit from the investment,” she said.
“We hope you will join us in supporting the Ignite Davie College Promise. All donations are welcome and appreciated as we raise the final $1 million.”
Visit www.IGNITEDAVIE.com/donate or mail a check payable to Davie Community Foundation with Ignite Davie in the memo to 135 S. Salisbury St., Mocksville.
For additional information about Ignite Davie, please visit www.IGNITEDAVIE.com or contact Carolyn McManamy, director DavieCONNECT, at 336-753-6670.